Gas tax should be increased and not decreased

South Carolina has a massive backlog of road and bridge maintenance that it simply can’t address with its current limited resources. The answer to the state Department of Transportation’s problems isn’t reducing those inadequate revenues even further by cutting the gas tax.

Rep. Baraki Sellers, D-Denmark, has pre-filed a bill to reduce the state gas tax from 16 cents a gallon to 14.4 cents, calling it a regressive tax that most hurts the poor. Sellers want to supplant diminished gas taxes with general budget revenues as part of a broad tax reform package.

The DOT’s revenue woes can be resolved more simply by raising the gas tax, which currently provides most of its funding. South Carolina’s gas tax is the second lowest in the nation and hasn’t been raised since 1987.

Another solution to the DOT’s financial problems would be better management at the top. The state highway commission has demonstrated an unfortunate willingness to support politically driven road projects at the expense of maintenance and priority construction needs.

This year, the DOT had trouble paying contractors on time and had to seek millions in advance payments from the federal government to get up to date. Meanwhile, it was forced to suspend $24 million in projects, mostly for maintenance.

DOT’s leadership problems are an impediment to addressing its underlying revenue shortcomings. Why would the Legislature grant the DOT more money when the agency has demonstrated its inability to use its scarce resources to best advantage?

DOT reform will enable lawmakers to take a more objective view. Without more revenue, the agency will continue to fall further behind on improvements to existing roads and bridges.

When roads aren’t maintained, the result is a hidden tax to motorists in additional car repairs, tire replacement and their safety.

The gas tax should be viewed as a user fee by which the motorists who drive on South Carolina’s roads share the cost to maintain them.

If it’s not sufficient to the need, the tax ought to be increased.

The next time a Republican politician tells you the GOP is dedicated to protecting you from higher taxes, look him straight in the eye and tell him that’s a lie.

Republicans cannot claim to favor lower taxes while they insist on making the taxpayers pay for their presidential primary. They also can’t claim the party will keep its promises.

The South Carolina Republican Party had promised to help pay for the primary. The primary is expected to cost about $1.5 million. The General Assembly set aside $850,000 to help pay for it. That will be added to the $180,000 candidates have paid in filing fees. And the GOP said it would cover the rest of the costs.

But several counties, including Spartanburg County, sued, claiming they would have costs that county taxpayers shouldn’t have to expend on behalf of a political party. The Supreme Court ruled incorrectly that the counties will have to cover the cost. ...

South Carolinians should understand that the presidential primary is not an election. It is not the preliminary round of the general election that will be held in November. It is not a function of the government.

It is a function of the Republican Party. ...

In fact, the South Carolina Republican Party has recently gone to court in an unsuccessful attempt to limit who can vote in its presidential primary. It didn’t want those who identify with the Democratic Party to be able to vote in its primary. Yet it wants all taxpayers to be forced to pay for that primary.

In fact, the party should be able to limit who votes in its primary. The members of that party should decide who that party wants to nominate. But they should cover all the costs of that process.

Instead, Republicans have decided that you, the taxpayer, should cover the costs of their primary. Not just unforeseen costs, but even the costs the GOP had earlier promised to cover. So never let them tell you again that the Republican Party watches out for the taxpayer. It’s just not true.

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